The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-10-27
Railroad Prospects
Probability ola Connection at
Louisa with the ChattarOi.
Ironton Register

Our correspondent whom we quoteu
last week, and whose communication was
read with much interest by all people
who think and speculate on and hope for
the prosperity of this region, writes us
again and deals with most interesting
Information. He says:
"Some six or eight years ago, Mr.. e. W.
Clark and other Philadelphia gentlemen
of wealth, went into the Flat Top Noun
tain region OF Virginia, in Taheweli
county, and made extehsiAc purchases
Of cuking coal lands, and offered such
Inducements to the Norfolk Is Western
r, h. in tile way of treights, as caused
that company to bu!H its New River
branch to Pocahoatas. Immediately the
new field was developed, large mines
were opened and hundreds ofcoke ovens
were constructed and set to work, unlil
today the daily output Is 5000 tons, most
Of which is cooked right there and shipped
East and South. Finding this venture
successful, this land Company began the
acquisition OF more territory, for the
most part lying west of the watershed,
and today they are the owners OF over
BOZ, 900 acres of the finest coal lands in
Mercer, Mcdowell, Wyoming, Raleigh,
Boone and Logan counties, w. Va, and
razewell Co., Va, Reaching as far west
as Pineyille, on Guyandotte river and
nearly to the mouth of Elkhorn, on Tug
river. The coal vein IN the eastern side
OF the mountain Is ten feet in thickness,
but Is reuuced to n little over seven feet
on Elkhorn fork OF Tug aud Pinnacle fork
Of Guyan, the two principal streams west
OF the ridge. Its ofan excellent quality,
easily mined and makes splendid coke.
In order to induce the railroai company
reconstruct its line into this new territory
of the land syndicate, the latter boonnd
itself to construct $50 coke ovens on Elk
horn, and Mr.. S. A. Crozier, of New York,
VINO has $4,000 acres on the same creek,
Is also under bond To put up 200 coke
ovens. This new extension of the y. &
w. is now well under way; the tunnel
heading is completed aud part Of the
grade on ElkhOrn l. tvady for the rails.
Within six months, six mining operations
on Elkhorn will be putting out 1000 tons
of coal fer day, handsome addition 10
the freight OF the n, S W., and $50 coke
ovens will be in full blast By the time
these are at work, 1t is probable that the
line will have been put under construc-
ton onto the waters of Guyan, on Pin
nacle creek, where still more extensive
operations are projected. On this creek,
the land company owns very nearly ey-
erything, and have the finest body OF
coking coal yet discovered The creek is
twenty five miles long, and one can stand
at the head spring and see its junction
with Guyan river, so nearly does It How
in a straight line. (rhe map doesn' tshow
it this way, buN IL is fact nevertheless. }
How Pinnacle creek will be reached is
not at all certain at this time. If the
coke is TO have western market, a thing
the land company now desires above ev-
erything else the extension will probably
be brought from Elkhorn, but if the
product of these mines is TO be shipped
East and South exclusively, as heretofore
1t is likely the railroad will reach Pima
Gle by leaving the n. & W. at Crane
creek, IL miIst below Pocahontas, ant
striking Pinnacle at the very head on thu
: coking coal vein. If this is done, it viii
: give Il second tunnel through the Fla
, Top Mountain; but as the vein of Goa
upon which the tunnel is driven IL large
and regular and has a good roof, the eX
pense of tunneling is reduced TO the min
Jun. As above slated, the company
owning and operating this large body 0
: coal are very anxious fora western out
let. They have proposed to the Norfoil
& Western TO guarantee certain tonnag'
in case that company will give them tn,
desired line, but they already have undel
construction the Clinch Valley road, ant
have their hands full for the present, anC
will probably make no more in this di
rection Immediately In the meantime
the land company leaves its proposition
open, and 1t would not be at all surprls
, ing il some other line would build in tina
direction. Be that as il may, these Goa
people are bent op FhiFRing their coke II
the Hanging Rock Iron Region and tn
west, and it is safe TO say that the iaeili
ties will be offered within the next tvs
, years, and thai the construction Will b
begun before another year by the \, " w
: itself, The route given last week is tn
, most direct, but not the best, and til
chances are favorable to . low grade rout
directly down the Tug Valley from Elk
horn to a CONNECTION with the Chattarc
} and Slackwater ot Louisa. 1t Is a goo
rule TO follow in locating mountain rail
road, to "to throw chip into the waite
! and then follow the chip The distanc
by this route would be less than 200 mile
, from the Flat Top ridge to Ironten; il
grades would all be descending with tn
.lload, ana its empties and east boun
freight would nowhere have a grade TO e.
| coed 20 feet per, mile below Elkhorn 4
would pass through coal field from b.
. ginning to end What more can be as'
ed? A line beginning at tide waite
passing through the largest coal field
the United States, then u fine field of q
i and domestic coals,' both camel and bit'
q minous, into 4 region needing this yel
coke to manufacture its iron, and the
f very gas snd domestic Goals Intensely
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